Good Morning America

Well hello out there in Blogland ... how the heck are ya?

Things here on the other side of the pond are just fantastic. Thanks to those who have commented and if you have any question - send 'em along. Good to know that someone out there is reading. Hope you are enjoying the pictures as well. We just added the Karlin's pictures to the site - so check em out... trying to load as many as I can to share. Haven't had the time to put taglines on them - but you can see we are loving it here.

We had the morning off and slept in until 10 a.m. - cannot tell you the last time I did that. Woke up, had breakfast in the Executive Club and then hung out until lunch. The group is down in Torah study right now and I am just burnt on sitting in a room with no windows ... so I am sitting on the balcony over looking the Old City and blogging away.

Funny thing happened this morning - I woke up and I was about to leave the room and I grabbed my kippot to wear. Don't know that I am doing it more for anything than spirituality during Shabbot but there's something to it. Couple friends even asked me about it at lunch and all I can say is that it just feels right. And isn't that what religion should be - what feels right. When talking to my new friend Avi from Tel Aviv - he told me what he thought was amazing during his time in the U.S. was that we have different levels of Judaism and here it's pretty Black Hat or not. He enjoyed seeing all the differences and how we all still love our base of Judaism. There's something to it - but still - we in America look at the Orthodox differently than we do the Reform folks. But here there's a serious disconnect between Secular Jews and Religious Jews. Just sad.

I have had a little time to digest last night's trip to the Kotel. Didn't say in the post last night - but I teared up when I got there. I was thinking about all of my ancestors and family that came before me to give us the opportunities we have.

I thought about my dear friend, Brian Fishman, that never had the chance to see what I have seen and it hit me hard then. He passed 8 years ago - I came to Israel for the first time 6 months after his passing. That trip was as emotional a trip as I ever have had. Since that trip I have gotten married (7 years as of tomorrow), had two wonderful children with a third on the way, done some great work in our community and have met some incredible people with whom Elizabeth and I have shared an awesome experience with.

As I stood there yesterday it came back to something that I said in my original writings from my trip to China, "but for the grace of God go I."

So here I am - living Brian's and my dream. Doing my best to live every day as well as I can for the two of us. I know that he's on my shoulder guiding me through this journey.

OK - off to class.... more later.